New Mexico Pinto Beans

This is how pinto beans get cooked across New Mexico: dried beans, a meaty ham bone, salt, and water. That’s it. No onion, no garlic, no spice. The flavor comes from low, slow simmering and knowing a few rules that keep the beans creamy, pale, and whole.

The overnight soak cuts cooking time significantly, but the real wisdom here is in the water management. Only add hot or boiling water when the pot runs low. Cold water shocks the beans and turns them dark, an ugly gray-brown instead of the rosy tan you want. Keep the lid on for the same reason.

A meaty ham bone is the traditional choice, and the gelatin from the bone gives the pot liquor a silky, almost velvety body. Salt pork or cubed bacon work too, but the ham bone brings that deep, smoky pork flavor that defines New Mexican pinto beans.

Salt goes in at the end, not the beginning. Adding salt too early toughens the bean skins and they’ll never soften properly no matter how long you cook them. Wait until the skins are nearly as tender as the insides, then season and let them rest.

Chef Tips

• Pick over the beans carefully. Small pebbles hide in dried beans and one bite on a rock ruins the whole pot.
• Keep the simmer gentle. A hard boil breaks the beans apart. You want intact beans in a thick, starchy broth.
• Let them stand after salting. The flavors meld and the liquid thickens as the beans cool slightly.

Variations

• Green chile beans: Stir in roasted, chopped Hatch green chiles during the last 30 minutes for a truly New Mexican touch.
• Refried beans: Mash leftover beans in a skillet with lard or bacon fat for the best refried beans you’ll ever make.